[e-mail] Reviews

Last Exile (2003)

Instantly hooked

[22 March 2004]

My girlfriend and I caught this series on 'Tech TV' during a Sunday marathon. We were drawn to the compelling story line, Intelligent characters and fantastic visuals. We were so drawn that we went out and found it on DVD at a good video store so we could watch it again.

It does bear a passing resemblance to "Castle in the Clouds", but with a more 'grown-up' sensibility. It's a shame episodes 14 through 26 will not be available to be shown on TV until next year, it's going to be a long wait.

Tech TV has previews of the various episodes if you want to take a closer look.

Update: Saw the last 13 episodes, and the pace of the series grows more relentless until the tension is almost unbearable for the last four episodes. Excellent story arc, and some very affecting tragedy at the end. Strongly recommended to any interested in a good story, strong characters, and inheritable visuals should check this series out.

Rise and Fall of the Spartans (2002)

Not Ken Burns, but very watchable

[7/10 · 7 August 2003]

Caught this on PBS the other night and was compelled to watch the entire series straight through. Not mesmorizing like "The Civil War" but enjoyable and informative. The series didn't flinch from histroical details that keep the Christian Right up at night, nor did it revel in sensationalism for Jerry Springer Ratings.

Kudos to host Bettany Hughes, who is thuroughly knowledgeable on the subject, projects great intellegence, and is, (how shall I put this?) eminently photogenic.

Storm Over the Nile (1955)

Why did the Korda's bother?

[3 October 2002]

A tepid remake of their spectacular 1939 version, one wonders what the Korda's where thinking. Indeed much of the location footage is recycled directly from the 1939 film including the whole final battle, aside from some closeups of the 1955 actors. Mildly entertaining, but the 1939 version is better, much much better.